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Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney defends amendments to a private member's bill that would allow Ottawa to strip Canadian citizenship from those with dual nationality who carry out serious terrorism offences. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The proposed amendment to a private member’s bill, previously introduced by Calgary’s Conservative MP Devinder Shory, would apply only to those who hold dual citizenship.

As the House of Commons prepares to vote on Bill C-425 this week, the Star interviewed Kenney about what critics claim is an attempt to develop a “second class” of citizenship and the logistical and legal concerns about the proposal.

A: In principle it should apply to all citizens but we have a legal impediment, as Canada is a signatory to the Convention of Statelessness, consequently we cannot revoke citizenship from anyone if that would render them stateless.

Q: Why single out terrorism?

A: The idea being that Canada is an enemy of terrorism in general … and if a Canadian knowingly takes up arms to slaughter civilians on behalf of an illegal terrorist organization, that can reasonably be construed as a renunciation of their loyalty to Canada.

A: I have not yet found out whether this would apply to particular cases. But in so far as he has received a conviction for treason I think, if he were a dual national, it would apply to him.

Q: How do you define terrorism? What would fall under this, aside from the obvious convictions in Canada? Where else would a conviction be considered valid? Saudi Arabia?

A: I very much doubt that. Terrorism offences are very much defined in Canadian law and what I’m suggesting is that only convictions for serious acts of terrorism … I think to deal with the problem with overseas convictions we would apply the same principle that has always existed in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act … An assessment is made on overseas convictions as to whether or not those were in fact real crimes.

A: We have not yet come forward with detailed amendments and we have to consider issues such as retrospectively and my inclination would for this to be applied prospectively … an organization at a certain moment and time may have changed its nature and character.

Q: Have you sought consultation from CSIS or the RCMP? Talking strictly about money, I’d anticipate there would be costly constitutional legal challenges and I think some in the intelligence field would argue that while a Canadian passport is of high value to terrorist organizations, money defending those legal cases would be better spent on counterterrorism efforts.

A: The Minister of Public Safety … obviously participates in cabinet deliberations on proposed amendments and I know Mr. (Vic) Toews strongly supports the proposed amendments … I think the value of this proposal is largely symbolic, educational. It sends a message that Canadian citizenship actually has some objective meaning … that it’s not some kind of tool to be exploited (by disloyal radicals). I think the number of cases to which it would be applicable would be minuscule, so I think the costs that you’re talking about are greatly exaggerated.

Q: Some have suggested: why not debate whether dual citizenship is permissible in Canada rather than enact laws that are applied differently?

A: In the aftermath of the 2006 repatriation of some 14,000 Canadians residing in Lebanon, they were evacuated during the conflict there, and this triggered a wide public debate in Canada. And the government did at that time review the rights and obligations of citizens. No significant policy changes were made at the time … Our prospective amendments have not been triggered by any reflection on dual nationality but rather on the question of violent disloyalty to Canada.

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